Like a billion people on earth, aspiring actress Piper Donovan is a fervent Facebook follower. But what she doesn't know is that a "friend" is following her. Possibly . . . stalking. A fan who starts by using the same beauty salon eventually comes closer--much closer--in this chilling short story.

It's the dead of winter and struggling actress and wedding-cake decorator Piper Donovan is thrilled to be in warm and romantic Sarasota, Florida, enjoying the powdery white beaches, soothing seas, and golden sunsets over the Gulf of Mexico. She and her family are there to celebrate her beloved cousin's wedding. Not only is Piper creating the sugar-sand-dollar-festooned wedding cake, she's also the maid of honor.But a cloud seems to be hovering over the whole affair. Shortly after a bridesmaid mysteriously disappears, a kindly neighbor's car is run off the road and a prospective witness, an innocent Amish teenager, is threatened to keep silent. Then a body is found on the beach where the wedding will take place. With the nuptials threatened, it falls to Piper to unmask a killer. Could it be the wedding planner with something to hide? A doctor and his wife who collect unusual Japanese figurines? The best man, an ex--drug dealer with lecherous eyes and roving hands?...

SUMMARY: When death shatters the serenity of the exclusive moneyed enclave of Tuxedo Park, New York, Eliza Blake, cohost of the country's premier morning television show KEY to America, is on the scene. While attending a lavish gala at her friends' newly renovated estate, Pentimento, Eliza's host is found dead-a grotesque suicide that is the first act in a macabre and intricately conceived plan to expose the sins of the past involving some of the town's most revered citizens.Determined to find out the truth, Eliza and her KEY News colleagues-producer Annabelle Murphy, cameraman B.J. D'Elia, and psychiatrist Margo Gonzalez-discover that Pentimento holds the key. Nestled in the park's sprawling architectural masterpieces, picturesque gardeners' cottages, and lush, rolling landscape, the glorious mansion is actually a giant "puzzle house," filled with ingenious clues hidden in its fireplaces, fountains, and frescoes that lead them from one suspicious locale to another-and, one by one, to the victims of a fiendish killer.As Pentimento gives up its secrets, it becomes clear that no amount of wealth or privilege will keep the residents of Tuxedo Park safe. But just when Eliza unearths one final surprise, she comes face-to-face with a murderer who believes that some puzzles should never be solved.

From Publishers WeeklyBestseller Clark, a CBS News writer and producer for many years, does only a superficial job of portraying the behind-the-scenes backstabbing and intrigue at a major network in this first of a new series, a sequel of sorts to her KEY News thrillers (Lights Out Tonight, etc.). When Constance Young, a Katie Couric–like mega–news star, is found dead in her pool, New York evening news anchor Eliza Blake, producer Annabelle Murphy and cameraman B.J. D'Elia join forces with psychiatrist Margo Gonzalez to investigate. Young died on the eve of her debut as morning host on a rival network, and her selfish, abrasive personality made her many enemies, ranging from her former boss to a nerdy millionaire who stole a rare Arthurian ivory figurine in an effort to win her heart. Others have evoked this world more convincingly, notably the late Bill DeAndrea in his Matt Cobb series, and the sleuths miss an obvious clue that any six-year-old could have figured out, as one character concedes at the end. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. From BooklistJust as Constance Young was set to make the leap from the KEY network's national morning show to their competition, she is found dead at the bottom of her pool. Suspects abound: her sister, Faith, a stay-at-home mom who was caring for their ailing mother without much help from the very wealthy Constance; Boyd, her assistant at KEY who was the whipping boy for many degrading requests; Stuart, the spurned boyfriend who risked everything to treat Constance as his queen; Linus, the head of KEY News, who had molded Constance into the cheery morning host adored by millions, only to be betrayed by her leaving; Annabelle and D. J., her producer and cameraman, who put up with countless complaints about everything they did; Lauren, the new girl in town set to take over for Constance; and even Eliza, the beloved doyenne of the network, who had no tolerance for Constance's prima donna posturing. Clark knows this territory well, both as a best-selling author of formulaic but always readable mysteries and as a writer and producer for CBS News. For fans of light mysteries, the combination of network-news melodrama and a frothy whodunit plot should prove irresistible. Wilkens, Mary Frances

Watch your back. Trust no one. And when a killer closes in, hide yourself away. It should have been an ideal week during a perfect summer in "America's First Resort." But just hours before the KEY News crew arrives for their broadcasts from Newport, Rhode Island, the skeleton of a socialite who disappeared fourteen years ago is found in a dank tunnel beneath a famous mansion.It doesn't end there. Next, the socialite's daughter is found at the bottom of the Forty Steps that lead from the legendary Cliff Walk to the ocean. And soon, the town is talking about the scandal and a killer whose work may be only beginning. When one of the KEY News interns is killed in a suspicious car accident and another disappears, this year's crop of fledgling journalists are targets, including Grace Callahan, not so young at thirty-two, who came to the City-by-the-Sea determined to launch a future in television news. She and the other KEY interns have been told that at...

Millions of people are watching-- one wants to kill her... What she found was her worst nightmare...She thought she'd found safety.In front of the camera, as anchorwoman for KEY Evening Headlines, she savvy, sexy, and sophisticated. But when she steps out of the spotlight, Eliza Blake is far more vulnerable than her devoted viewers would ever imagine. Single-handedly raising a young daughter, she's finally found a safe haven: a dream house in the suburbs, where nothing can ever threaten her again...It begins with a venomous letter. No stranger to the occasional hate mail that mingles with glowing correspondence from adoring fans, Eliza is at first unaware that this time, the writer isn't a harmless nutcase. Then come the menacing phone calls. Now that her serene suburban life is shattered by fear, Eliza must face the chilling realization that the stalker is closer, and more lethal, than anyone ever suspected-- perhaps even concealed behind a trusted,...

Cassie Sheridan has all a television news reporter could want: an important beat in Washington D.C., a skyrocketing career, and a talent that everyone acknowledges. But then, she makes a critical mistake. Suddenly, her career is in shambles, her credibility is questioned, and her teenaged daughter makes her realize just how much time she hasn't spent with her. The repercussions of ambitious reporting have now derailed the career of KEY News justice correspondent Cassie Sheridan. Cassie is transferred to Miami, to wait out the end of her contract-separated from her family, her friends, and the familiarity of Washington. But in an unsuspecting south Florida town, a killer is watching...and waiting. While covering a hurricane that's moving up Florida's west coast, Cassie meets 11-year-old Vincent, who has just made a grisly discovery on the beach. In one week, Cassie traces the connection between Vincent's newfound "treasure" and a secret operation in...

“One of the most talented story tellers around.”—Associated Press“Clark has perfected the suspense novel...in classic Christie fashion.”—BooklistNew York Times bestseller Mary Jane Clark introduced readers to professional wedding cake decorator and amateur sleuth Piper Donavan in her acclaimed mystery novel To Have and To Kill. Piper's back in The Look of Love, on cake creating assignment at a West Coast luxury spa for the wealthy and famous—where nip and tuck and murder are offered in equal measures. Clark really hits her stride with The Look of Love, providing a winning recipe for delectable mystery that combines chills, twists, humor and often very romantic suspense in the bestselling vein of Mary Higgins Clark, Carol Higgins Clark, Faye Kellerman, Elizabeth Lowell, and Jayne Ann Krentz. She even includes scrumptious pastry recipes and fabulous cake design tips.

Secrets can really kill your career.Beautiful New York TV anchorwoman Eliza Blake has a past to hide. Her popular co-anchor has a scandal he'd die to keep secret. The next President's pretty wife wants desperately to avoid indecent exposure. A parish priest knows a terrible truth. And a killer has a secret agenda that reaches from New York City's streets to the White House-- it includes the time and place where Eliza Blake will have to die...

Piper Donovan adores her brother. Her sister-in-law is another matter. Self-centered, greedy, and completely annoying, Zara is, inexplicably, the love of Robert's life. Piper puts up with her to maintain peace within the family.When an exquisite gold bracelet goes missing, all the evidence points to Zara as the thief. Piper knows she should go to the police, but she's torn. Is finding justice worth risking the happiness of her entire family?

Reporter Laura Walsh's KEY News colleagues jokingly call her the "Angel of Death" because of her uncanny ability to have celebrities' obituaries ready to roll-even for people who are not expected to die. It seems someone's been "whispering" in Laura's ear, tipping her off to secrets about some of the rich and famous who don't have long to live. When the remains of a 12-year old boy, missing for 30 years, are discovered buried where the legendary Palisades Amusement Park once stood, Laura sees her chance to move beyond the obits to "Hourglass," KEY News' answer to "60 Minutes." But when glamorous "Hourglass" host Gwyneth Gilpatric meets a devastating end, Laura's ready-to-air obit raises not only the suspicions of her co-workers, but of the police as well. A tension-filled thriller from a rising star writer, Let Me Whisper in Your Ear is Mary Jane Clark's best book yet.